


New Beginnings

by silversash



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Drinking, Cheating, Dark Josie Saltzman, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Gen, Heartbreak, Heretic, Heretic!Josie, Hope and Landon are engaged, Hosie, I'm Bad At Summaries, Jealousy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possibly Unrequited Love, Sire Bond, Tags May Change, Vampire Turning, jealous Josie, jealous landon, sorry - Freeform, the merge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:42:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26959003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversash/pseuds/silversash
Summary: As a last resort to avoid the Merge, Josie dies with Hope's blood in her system and begins her transition into a witch-vampire hybrid.Adapting this new life proves a challenge as Josie struggles to cope with her new found bloodlust , as well as her heightened and seemingly unrequited feelings for one, newly engaged Hope Mikaelson.Will Hope be able to help her before Josie completely loses the run of herself?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Jade/Josie Saltzman, Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson, Milton "MG" Greasley/Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 56
Kudos: 191





	1. Chapter 1

It had been two days since they realised the last option to survive the Merge.

One day since the twin’s 22nd birthday.

Twelve hours since Josie died with vampire blood in her system.

Hope stood over the brunette’s perfectly still body laid out on her bed. She looked at peace, for the first time in years. The dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep after spending hours upon hours searching libraries for a solution had vanished. Her hair was no longer messy, but voluminous and perfectly styled around her bright, pale face. Her fingernails no longer chewed down to stubs.

She looked better than ever but this fact offered little comfort to Hope, or Lizzie who had not left her sister’s side since she had taken her last breath. Lizzie looked a mess, her clothes and hair disheveled and her face pale with worry. Hope couldn’t imagine she looked any better at this given time.

“Why is it taking so long?” Lizzie, who stood on the opposite side of the bed to Hope, whispered. Her eyes were still red and puffy. “Hope, do you think something’s wrong?”

Hope was afraid to answer, mostly because if something had gone wrong there was nobody to blame but herself. Apart from Landon, who literally could not die, she had never snapped someone’s neck before. Her whole body shuddered even at the thought of it, the sickening crack of bone and that violent last gasp for breath before the girl’s knees buckled and she fell lifeless into Hope’s awaiting arms. She was sure the memory of killing her own best friend would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“This was a bad idea,” Lizzie started to panic. “Why did we think this was a good idea? Why did Josie have to be the one to give up her human life? I should have fought harder.”

They’d been through this argument plenty of times over the last day and a half of course. Josie determined to take the plunge, Lizzie feeling too guilty to let her sister accept the fate, then Josie reminding Lizzie of the great life she was destined to lead and the life she could bring into this world. No matter how many times the sisters argued over it, Hope knew what the outcome would be.

Josie would have been a great mom too, Hope thought. She’d have taught her kids to be brave, selfless and most importantly, good. It hurt Hope to think that Josie secretly wanted to have that option too, but she had already decided, years ago, that her life’s purpose was to be her sister’s keeper.

“Hope I can’t lose her,” Lizzie whimpered, her tearful eyes locked on Hope as though she’s waiting for Hope to provide a magical solution.  
“You won’t,” Hope replied, not sure if she’s trying to convince Lizzie or herself. “It’ll be okay Liz, she will wake up any minute now.”

Before Lizzie could begin pacing around the room again, Hope grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back down to sit on the bed beside her sister. The last thing Josie would need when she woke up was to be worrying about Lizzie getting herself into a state. 

There was a soft knock on the door, and Caroline popped her head in. Her hopeful expression falling when she saw her daughter still unconscious. Her gaze lingered over the brunette momentarily before turning her attention to Lizzie and Hope.  
“Girls, you both look exhausted. Maybe you should get some rest?” The vampire offered.  
  


“No!” Lizzie snapped defensively. “I’m not leaving her!”

“It’s alright Caroline,” Hope spoke a little more calmly. “We’d just be more comfortable by her side until she wakes up.”

“Okay,” Caroline frowned before turning to head back out. “Alaric just got back from the hospital with some blood bags, we’ll keep them in the fridge until she’s ready for them. Just call us as soon as she wakes up.”

Hope grimaced at the thought of Josie feeding. It was hard to picture those brown eyes turning dark, her pillowy lips and pearly teeth covered in warm, fresh blood. Just the thought of it made it feel all the more real that Josie was not going to be the same girl when she woke up.

Her attention was alerted to the phone vibrating in her back pocket.

  
Landon was calling her. She’s not sure why she was so annoyed at him, but after 17 missed calls surely he should have gotten the message that she didn’t want to talk to him right now.

She declined the call knowing she was going to talk to him later anyway, before turning off her phone for good. 

“Jo!” Lizzie suddenly shrieked beside her. Hope glanced back down to the bed to see Josie’s fingers twitching in Lizzie’s palm, and her ribcage beginning to rise and fall.

“Josie? Are you awake?” Hope whispered, kneeling down at the bedside beside Lizzie.

It seemed like a lifetime of silence but the brunette finally let out a small, throaty cry. “Hope?”  
Hope could feel her own heart starting to beat again as relief coursed through her body.

“I’m right here Jo,” the tribrid cooed, leaning across to grab the hand Lizzie wasn’t squeezing. “You’re safe. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Umm, I’m here too,” Lizzie commented dryly, but Hope could see the relief-fueled tears in her eyes. “Not like I waited by your side the last twelve hours or anything.”

Josie’s eyes fluttered open, displaying the warm, chocolate colour Hope could always find comfort in. Josie immediately locked eyes with her twin. “Liz,” she exhaled with a breath of relief. “Lizzie, we did it.”

Tears rolled down Lizzie’s face as their arms met in a deep embrace . “We did it Jo. We’re free. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Josie sniffed, pulling her sister even closer to her and squeezing her tightly.

The twins stayed in that position for a few seconds, both reluctant to let go of the other. Lizzie was the one to break away first, remembering that now that Josie had changed they both had a long life ahead of them. There was no longer a magical curse looming over them, no ratched deadline to fear. She faced her sister with an expression of genuine concern.

“How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” Josie croaked. She glanced from Lizzie to Hope then to her surroundings, her eyes flicking over every corner in the room as though she was carefully studying a crime scene. Hope presumed she was testing out her new senses. 

After a moment or so, Josie’s lips pouted and her face formed an expression of what Hope could only read as discomfort. 

“Jo? Everything alright?” 

The brunette responded by raising a hand to her throat before bashfully averting her gaze. “I’m sorry, I just feel a bit thirsty. My throat feels like it’s on fire.”

“It’s okay Jo,” Hope reassured. “We have blood for you downstairs, we just need to tell your parents you’re awake.” Before she had even finished speaking, Hope was already on her feet eager to grab whatever Josie might need to ease her discomfort.

“Wait!” Josie stopped Hope as she headed for the bedroom door. “Can I just have a few minutes? I just want to process things, before doing _that.”_

Hope frowned. Was Josie suddenly second guessing herself? Was she considering not transitioning? 

Josie sat up slightly in the bed, catching a glance of Hope’s worried expression. “Calm down Hope. I’m fine.” It was as though she could read the girl’s mind. “It’s just not everyday you die and come back to life, you know?”

Hope nodded, before joining Lizzie on the edge of the bed. They sat in silence, waiting for Josie to say something.

“How are Mom and Dad?” The brunette asked after a minute or two with a slight wince. Despite it being the only solution to keeping both their daughters, Alaric and Caroline hadn’t been huge advocates of the plan. Caroline had seemed particularly uncomfortable with the thoughts of either of her daughters succumbing to this fate. 

Hope could understand where she was coming from. Caroline was immortal and had already lost most of her family and the love of her life. Forever is a long time to be alive if you don’t have loved ones to share it with. She hoped Josie knew that she was always going to be there for her. One of the few benefits of being the almighty, immortal tribrid, she told herself. 

“They’re fine,” Lizzie ensured her sister with a warm smile. “They’re downstairs and want to see you, as soon as you’re ready.”

“Can you go get them Liz?” Josie requested, “I need a minute alone with Hope, if that’s okay?”

Lizzie looked a little confused, but gave a curt nod and exited the room. As she left she gave a quick look to Hope. Hope knew Lizzie’s signals all too well at this stage and this one meant Lizzie expected her to fill her in all the details later on. Of course Hope would never break Josie’s trust like that.

“Are you okay?” Hope questioned Josie the second they were in private. “Did I do something wrong?”

Josie let out a soft laugh before grabbing hold of her hand. “Hope, you did everything and more. You’ve kept me and my sister alive. I just wanted to thank you. I’m never going to be able to repay you for this.”

“Please don’t thank me Josie,” Hope replied. “ Of course I was going to do anything I could to save you. I wish there had been another option. This shouldn’t have been an ultimatum for you but believe me when I promise you that I will be there for you every step of the way while you adjust. Your dad’s letting me stay at the school for however long it takes.”

Josie blushed. “Hope, I can’t ask you to do that. What about all your travels? And your studies? You’ve already done so much for me, you don’t have to put your life on hold for me too.”

“Of course I do,” Hope whispered, leaning slightly closer. “You’re my best friend Josie, and I love you.”

A wide grin broke out on the twin’s face. “I love you too Hope.”

Hope felt another burst of relief course through her veins. She had been so worried about turning Josie, that she would do it wrong or create a monster. But Josie seemed to already be taking things in her stride. Maybe she would adapt to this new way of being in no time.

  
She pulled Josie into a hug that the brunette was only all too happy to reciprocate - squeezing Hope in her arms in a bone crushing grip.

" _Josie!"_ Hope choked out, finding it hard to breathe under the hybrid's new found strength. "You're too strong"

  
"Oh!" Josie gasped , quickly breaking away from her with pink tinted cheeks. "I'm so sorry!"

A quiet knock sounded on the wooden door from outside, and Josie sat up straight, calling for the visitor to come in. Hope turned her head to see Lizzie, Caroline and Alaric at the doorway - the latter two evidently eager to see their daughter. Hidden not so discreetly in his hand behind his back, Alaric held a bag of human blood sourced from the local hospital. 

“I’m going to go,” Hope whispered, not wanting to intrude on family time. Josie in a minor state of panic tightened her grip on Hope’s hand.“You don’t have to!”

  
“I’ll be back,” Hope promised as she gently slipped her hand away from Josie’s. “I need to call Landon back anyway, I’ll be in my room if you need me. I’ll see you later Jo.”  
“Okay.” Josie mumbled in response, the word barely audible before she sank back down into her pillow. 

Hope leaned forward to leave a chaste kiss on her forehead before bidding the family goodnight.

If Hope had only taken a glance behind her as she headed for the door, she might have seen the wave of disappointment and hurt wash over the newly turned Heretic’s face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for slight emotional manipulation at the start of the chapter

When Hope returned to her bedroom, Landon was already there, standing by her desk. The agitated expression he bared on his face and his tightly folded arms let Hope know she was going to be in for a night of tension and drama.

She let out an exhausted sigh as she made eye contact with him. “Landon, I’m sorry.”

“ _Sorry_? That’s all you have to say to me?” He didn’t even give her a chance to explain herself before launching into her. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? I’ve been trying to contact you for hours!”

“Well I was obviously busy!” Hope retalited, trying her best to keep a cool tone unlike Landon who seemed to be growing more hot headed by the second.

“You couldn’t have even texted to let me know you were okay? Of course not! Why would you have time to check in with your worried _fiancé_ when you’re always running to answer the Saltzmans’ every beck and call?” 

Hope let out a disgusted scoff. “Do you even hear yourself right now? Josie almost died and you’re throwing a strop! Stop being so dramatic!”  
“Oh so _I’m_ the dramatic one? Not Little Miss Tribrid who practically throws herself into the clutches of evil so she can always be the hero? Do you know how much that hurts to watch Hope? ”

“It’s not like I always have a choice.” Hope argued back.

“But this time you did! Why did you have to be the one to turn Josie? Why not MG or her mother?” Landon challenged.

“Because she asked me to! Because she trusts me, and she’s my best friend and I will do anything for her.”

“And what does that make me Hope? Am I just an obstacle in your way of getting to precious Josie Saltzman. Will I always come second to her? Even when I’ve travelled thousands of miles just to see you?”

“You didn’t have to come this weekend, you knew it was the twin’s birthday and what was going to happen!”  
  


Landon grabbed his coat from the back of Hope’s desk chair. “Fine,” he shrugged dramatically, “I’ll just go back to California. I’m clearly not wanted here!”

Hope rolled her eyes, waiting for him to calm down but couldn’t ignore the growing anxiety in her chest as he came closer to exiting the door. His hand was just twisting the doorknob open when she shouted for him.

  
“Wait Landon! Don’t go, _please_.”

She hated herself for being so weak, for not standing her ground. But even after all these years, she still couldn’t shake her fear of abandonment. If Landon left now, who knew when he’d come back to her.

Or _if_ he would come back. The last time they had an argument Landon didn’t answer his phone for two whole weeks, it took an anxiety-riddled Hope to drive all the way to Berkeley for him to accept she was sorry. She didn’t have time for that right now, she needed to be here with Josie as she transitioned, so she needed Landon to be here too.

He turned around and raised an eyebrow at her. “And why shouldn’t I? Your priorities _clearly_ lie elsewhere.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you.” Hope sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’ll make it up to you I promise, it’s just been a stressful weekend you know.”

He closed the door quietly before stalking closer to her once more. He reached an arm out to cup her chin and drag her eyes up to meet his own. Just as his lips brushed against hers and she leaned in for a kiss, he took her hand in his and brought it down to the buckle of his belt. He leaned forward to whisper softly in her ear. “I can think of a way you can make it up to me right now.”

* * *

An hour later Hope lay on her back, half naked and exhausted but yet couldn’t bring herself to shut her mind off. All her thoughts lay with Josie. She felt bad that the entire time she and Landon were having sex, her mind kept wandering to the brunette and how the newly turned heretic must be feeling as she adapted to all these new changes.

She felt a deep desire to seek out Josie, even if it was just to see her for a minute. She knew Landon wouldn’t be happy with her, but judging by how loudly he was snoring beside her she would be back before he’d ever notice she had left.

Slipping out of bed, she grabbed her Salvatore bathrobe and slippers from her closet. She gave one quick glance back to ensure Landon was still sleeping soundly before leaving her room as quietly as possible to tiptoe down the hallway. 

Surprisingly, she found Josie sitting outside the twin’s bedroom door, her head leaning back against the wood as she stared into space. Josie didn’t explicitly express any emotion on her face, but Hope could tell she was deep in thought about something. 

“Jo?” Hope whispered as she cautiously approached. “Are you okay?”

Josie blinked in surprise as though she hadn’t noticed the presence of another person before her. The heretic’s face instantly brightened upon recognizing the tribrid. “Hope! I missed you!”

Hope let out an awkward chuckle as Josie stood up to wrap her arms around her. They’d only seen each other just over two hours ago, surely she had been busy catching up with her family.

When the heretic placed her head in the nook of Hope’s shoulder and pulled her body closer, Hope could tell something was wrong.

“Hey it’s okay Josie, I’ve got you.” 

And in that moment, she never wanted to let go of the girl clinging so tightly to her. It made her feel needed, she hadn’t felt like that in a while.

“I’m sorry Hope,” the other girl whimpered, it sounded as though she was trying to hold back tears. “I’m just feeling a lot right now. There are so many emotions at once, and I don’t know how to deal with them. Can you stay with me please?”

“Of course,” Hope answered, squeezing Josie’s shoulder in reassurance before slipping the brunette’s hand into hers. “But Jose, where are your family? Why did they leave you alone?”

“I asked them to,” Josie responded. “They were all so exhausted, so I told them to go to bed. I thought I’d be fine, but now I’m not so sure that was a good idea.”

Hope flashed her a warm smile. “You want to go somewhere to talk?”

Josie bit her lip and nodded, allowing Hope to lead her away.

Hope guessed Lizzie was sleeping in their bedroom, and knew Landon would be less than impressed if she returned back to her room with Josie in tow. She guessed their best chance of privacy would be the library.

She led Josie down the hallway towards the main staircase, the brunette never letting go of her hand the entire way. 

* * *

As she had assumed, the library was completely empty and silent. For the first time in at least a week, Hope finally felt some peace. She pulled Josie over towards the bookshelves and sat them both on one of the dark chaise lounges there.

“So, did you transition?” She asked, assuming that the brunette would be in serious discomfort now if she hadn’t. Hope was mostly glad she wasn’t there to witness it. However, a small, strange part of her felt guilty for not being there, as though it was her responsibility to stay and ensure Josie properly fed.

Josie grimaced in response to her question. “It was gross."

Hope wrinkled her nose in disgust and gave a huff of agreement. "Yeah those bags look and smell pretty nasty. I don't envy you."

"I think that feeding is something that’s going to take a while to get used to.” The heretic huffed.

“That’s okay Jo, you do all have the time in the world now,” Hope tried to joke but this somehow seemed to upset the brunette.

“All the time in the world,” Josie mumbled. “This means I’m going to have to watch everyone else die right?” 

She pouted and her bottom lip started to tremble. “My dad, and Lizzie, -”

She started to ramble on, listing out the names of the non-immortal people in her life, tears now streaming down her face. Hope found herself caught in a panic, sure she’d known there was going to be mood swings but she didn’t expect them to be this intense.

“Josie!” She tried to distract the other girl, eventually resorting to shaking her by the shoulders. “Josie! Hey! You need to calm down! You can’t let your emotions take over, okay?”

Josie pulled away from her, and drew her knees up towards her chest, resting her chin on top. “I’m sorry Hope, I’m just so scared. Everything is going to be so different now you know? I’ve spent the last six years trying to accept the fact I wouldn’t make it past twenty two and now I suddenly have to cope with the fact I could live forever.”

“It’s completely normal to feel scared Jo, every transitioning vampire experiences some level of this. Maybe we should go get your mom, she can help you through it-”

“NO!” Josie practically roared in her face. Her sharpened fingernails were already digging into the sleeve of Hope’s robe, causing the older girl to wince. “The last thing I need is for my family to think I’m struggling, and for Lizzie to start regretting the decision. She deserves to be happy!”

_Classic Josie_ , Hope thought to herself. Lizzie was probably sleeping soundly upstairs while Josie dealt with the storm of emotions brewing inside her brain. 

“But what about you Josie?” Hope questioned, her eyes locking onto the brunette’s. “Are you happy?”

Josie broke their eye contact, averting her gaze to the carpeted floor instead. She didn’t speak for a minute or so, as if she required some time to process Hope’s question. This caused Hope’s frown to deepen.

“I’m happy I’m alive, and I’m happy that the Merge is no longer tearing me and my sister apart,” she spoke, finally. “And I’m really happy that I have you Hope, and that I know I have you by my side throughout this whole process.”

A small smile tugged on Hope’s lips. She leaned forward to pull Josie into a comforting hug. “I mean what I said Jo, I’m here for you every step of the way.” 

Josie buried her head in Hope’s shoulder once more. The redhead would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy it. She felt a relief knowing that Josie could find comfort in her. As if of its own accord, Hope’s hand started to run its way through Josie’s brown curls, occasionally pulling any stray strands away from her face. Josie hummed in response, seemingly content.

“Let’s just stay like this for a while okay?” Josie mumbled into the soft cotton of Hope’s bathrobe.  
“Sure,” Hope happily replied before leaning her head on top of Josie’s.

She didn’t take much notice when she heard Josie inhale sharply, as though she was trying to take in the tribrid’s scent. That is, until Josie suddenly jerked away from her, pushing Hope backwards in the process.

“Josie!” Hope cried at the sudden loss of balance.

She frowned at the look of hurt and slight resentment that was suddenly plastered across Josie’s face. “You smell like him.”

Hope tilted her head quizzically. “ _What_?”  
Her confusion only increased as Josie rose wordlessly from her seat. Her eyes refused to meet Hope’s again. “I should go.” 

She seemed angry.

“Josie, wait! What just happened?” Hope stammered. “Where are you going?”

“Didn’t mean to keep you from your boyfriend,” Josie said in a chilling tone that almost resembled a sneer. “I’m going to go back to bed now. Goodnight Hope.”

The brunette turned away from her and stormed towards the door of the library in a huff, slamming it behind her as she left. 

Dumbfounded, Hope reclined back into the chair, pondering how on earth she had managed to piss off two of the most important people in her life within such a short period of time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jealous Josie has entered the chat.
> 
> Sorry for the Landon bashing, I swear I actually like his character on the show for the most part, but he is going to be a bit problematic in this fic. Please please let me know what you think of the chapter! All kudos and comments are so appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Hope had managed to climb back into bed without Landon ever noticing her absence. 

When he woke up the next morning, he seemed to already be in a better mood.  
“Morning,” he greeted, placing a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well?”  
  
“Yes,” Hope lied with the most convincing smile she could muster. “Slept great.”

Hope, in fact, had not slept at all. After sneaking back into bed, she could not seem to switch her mind off. Her head was clouded with confusion, completely clueless to what she could have done to piss Josie off the way she did. She tried to convince herself that it was just the out-of-control emotions acting up again, and turned on her side in an attempt to doze off. But then the guilt of feeling she had any role in upsetting Josie started gnawing at her stomach.

She decided the only way she was going to feel any better was by tracking Josie down in the morning and apologizing for any grievances she may have accidentally caused.

“Glad I left you feeling exhausted too babe,” Landon chuckled, snapping Hope out of her thoughts. 

_Not now Landon,_ She groaned internally, trying to ignore the nauseous wave of disgust that briefly washed over her. _Huh, that’s new._

His hand reached out to pull her closer to him, his fingers settling on her forearm, drawing and tracing invisible spirals there. But it didn’t feel right, his fingers were too large and callous to bring her any comfort. She wished they were small and delicate like - 

Like _Josie’s_.

_What is wrong with me this morning?_ Hope argued internally and tried to shake the thoughts from her mind.

“Babe are you okay? Your breathing is all over the place.” Landon frowned, placing a hand on her back.

Hope struggled away from his touch and sat up straight in the bed. “Coffee!” She managed to choke out. “I need coffee. Will I get you some too?”

“Umm sure?” Landon responded with furrowed brows.

“Great,” Hope smiled, sliding out of bed and grabbing the first hoodie and pair of shorts she could find. “I’ll be back in a minute.”  
  


Hope was relieved to find Lizzie in the kitchen sitting on the granite counter top, drinking a mug of coffee of her own. “Lizzie, hey!” She greeted with a warm smile ad reached out for the coffee pot.

The blonde’s expression immediately turned sour. “What do you want Mikaelson?”  
“Wait, why are _you_ angry with me?” Hope questioned, had she missed something that she was now in two of the Saltzmans' bad books?  
“Because you’ve obviously done something to upset Josie. I thought you said you were going to look out of her!” Lizzie replied with narrowed eyes.

“I was! I mean, I am. I don’t understand what I did or said last night to make her storm out on me. What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know. She stormed back into our room in the middle of the night from wherever you two were frolicking about, disturbing me from my sleep might I add, grumbling something about you reeking of sex?”

Hope tilted her head quizzically. “But I don’t understand what that has to do with anything.”

Lizzie put a hand up to stop her, “Look,I don’t need to hear about you and the Hobbit’s sex life, especially this early in the morning. But you need to figure out why Josie is upset, and fix it.”

“But I don’t know what I’ve done wrong!”

Lizzie hopped down from the counter, landing on her feet in front of Hope. “That’s something you’re going to have to talk to Josie about then.”

“Okay, where is she?”  
“She’s in our room, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go see her right now Hope.”

The tribrid’s face fell.

“She’s on edge, and she’s been crying all morning,” Lizzie continued. “Mom’s upstairs with her now,even though she says she wants to be alone. I know this is a side effect of becoming a vampire and all, but I hope it passes soon. Josie’s been through enough, I can’t watch her go through all this emotional distress too.”  
“But how am I supposed to fix whatever problem I created?”

“Just wait for her to come around Hope, she’ll come to you when she’s ready trust me.”

Lizzie flicked her mop of blonde, unruly curls over her shoulder before grabbing her coffee and exiting the kitchen leaving Hope more confused than she was when she entered. Was she supposed to go apologize to Josie or let Josie come to her when she was ready? 

Hope didn’t know where to go next. Josie didn’t want her around, and she wasn’t exactly in the mood to cuddle Landon for the afternoon. No, right now she needed to clear her head and usually the only thing that was going to help with that was a good run.

  
  


* * *

The minute her paws hit the soft, wet ground , Hope instantly began to feel better. There was nothing like a morning run in the crisp, spring air to help her relax.

She knew she should probably have asked Alaric for permission before wolfing out, but surely if he trusted her to turn his daughter into a vampire, he could finally trust her wolf not to bring harm to anybody on school grounds. 

Even after all these years, and all the monsters Hope had helped protect the school from, Alaric still seemed to find it difficult sometimes to see her as more than the little girl Klaus and Hayley sent to the school when she was seven. 

Alaric needed to see that Hope was an adult now. An adult capable of making adult decisions - like how to cheer up Josie, while also not spending too much time away from Landon who now all of a sudden had some grudge against Hope’s friendship with the Saltzmans?

The more she thought about Josie and how upset she was leaving the library last night, the more on edge Hope could feel her wolf become. She let out a whine as she remembered how Lizzie said Josie had been crying all morning.

The white wolf found herself with a desire to sprint back to the school to find and _protect_ Josie, to shield the emotionally vulnerable girl from harm.  
 _No,_ she commanded herself before turning in her tracks to head towards the falls. Josie wanted space right now, and Hope would have to respect that - no matter how uncomfortable that thought made her feel. Besides, a good run would set her straight. She just needed to clear her head and then she would be able to find the right words to talk to Josie.

Placing pressure onto her back legs, she jumped off the ground and began to sprint through the forest.

By the time Hope made it to the falls, she was exhausted. She assumed it was from her lack of sleep the night before. Her wolf set its eyes on a small cave behind the falls that she had often used as a napping spot in her school days. She figured a quick nap could do her some good before heading back to the school to fix her messes. 

Careful as not to get her fur coat too wet and heavy, she did her best to tiptoe around the curtain of the waterfall and retreated into the warm depths of the cave until she found herself in the familiar comforts of the pitch black darkness there. Letting her legs buckle in underneath her, Hope lowered her head onto her front paws and allowed to herself get some much needed shut-eye.

* * *

Hope’s heavy eyes blinked open sometime later to find that the sun had disappeared and the evening sky had begun to close in.  
 _Damnit,_ she cursed herself. She must have been asleep for hours. Landon was certainly not going to be happy with her disappearing act.

She rose to her feet and scampered back in the direction of the school as quickly as her four legs would allow. 

As she drew closer to the place where she had left her clothes, she realized she was no longer alone in the forest.

Caroline Forbes Salvatore stood at the edge of the Old Mill, staring as though she was waiting for Hope to join her.

Hope padded closer to the vampire, worry starting to kick in as she began to think of all the reasons as to why Josie’s mother would be seeking her out.

As she made it to the deck of the old mill, she nodded to her own pile of clothes on the ground as an indication for Caroline to give her a minute’s privacy so she could transform back.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Caroline exclaimed, quick to catch on to Hope’s gesture and turned on her heels so her back was to Hope.

Hope quickly shifted back into her human form and threw hoodie and shorts back on.

“You can look now Caroline,” she called out. “Is everything okay?”

Caroline turned back around to face her. The look of concern on her face immediately answered Hope’s question. “Not exactly” the vampire replied. “Josie’s been looking for you.”

“She has?” Hope quizzed. If anything she had expected Caroline to front her about upsetting Josie, just as Lizzie had earlier that morning.

“Yes, and I think you could really help her right now.”

They fell into a synchronized step as they began walking back in the direction of the school.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Well for one, she’s not feeding.” 

“ _What_? I thought she fed last night?”

Caroline shook her head. “She could barely manage more than a few sips. I thought she would drink more this morning but she’s still refusing. She’s maintaining that she’s okay, but I can see the thirst in her eyes. And I can't have her around her sister or human father until she gets that thirst under control.”

“So what do you need me to do?”  
“I need you to try and convince her to feed, Hope. I had a feeling Josie would have an issue with blood, especially considering she’s pretty much been a vegetarian her whole life. I thought maybe it was just the human blood she didn’t want to drink so we tried giving her animal blood from the school supply but she only reacted worse to that.”

Hope scratched her head. She’d never heard of any vampire, let alone a newborn, refuse blood. “But why do you think she’ll listen to me? Last time we spoke she got angry with me. I don’t think I’m going to be able to convince her anymore than you guys.”

Caroline flashed her a small smile. “I just have a gut feeling about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is kind of more of a filler chapter and has a lottt of dialogue but I promise things will start getting intense from the next chapter out


	4. Chapter 4

Hope wished she could carry herself with even a fraction of the grace Caroline did as they rushed through the school on their way to the twin’s room. 

The headmistress strided through the hallway with ease and poise, her composure completely unsuspicious.

She had been adamant they didn’t display any signs of panic to any of the student body, who would not fare well to the news that Josie Saltzman was struggling to transition following the great fiasco that was The Merge. Hope meanwhile was fighting desperately against herself to reign back the panic that was rising up inside her like a wildfire and prompting her to break into a run and sprint upstairs to Josie’s side. 

A number of students and staff attempted to salute Hope as she passed them by in the hallways. Some of the younger students even called after her, wishing to engage in conversation or ask for her help with their Supernatural History homework.

Although it had been five years since Hope had graduated and left for college, Hope was still well known to pretty much the entire school population considering how often she called to visit - whether to help with Merge research or just to spend time with the people she thought of as her second family.

Alaric had even given her the best graduation gift she could have asked for - to keep her bedroom. He had wanted her to know that the school would always be a home for her and that she was always welcome to come back. He gave the twins the same gift a year later.

Hope had even helped out with teaching lessons from time to time when Caroline and Alaric were in need of a substitute. She even found she had a knack for it - students liked her and wanted to talk to her, and ask her questions. They confided in her with their problems and worries. It made a hell of a difference to when she was there as a student herself. 

They seemed to view her as a mentor of sorts, and she appreciated it. In fact, she could even envision herself moving back to the school on a more permanent basis in the near future to teach - if Alaric would allow it. But until then, the students’ questions and concerns would have to wait. 

Josie was her only priority right now.

Coming to turn a corner, she ignored yet another voice calling her name expecting it to be Pedro or one of his friends that would have to make a mental note to go visit later when time was on her side. The voice however continued to chase her through the school, becoming instantly recognisable as it turned the corner with her.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to see Landon flouncing towards her, a deep scowl on his face.  
“Hope!” He bellowed once more as he came into reaching distance of her. “Where the hell have you been all day? I’ve been looking all over for you!”

His nostrils flared as he miserably failed to maintain a calmness to his tone. 

“What could possibly have been so important today that you had to leave me again, huh?”

She knew he was going to be pissed with her, but it had been quite some time since she had seen him _this_ angry.

He crossed his arms and stared down at her expectantly, waiting for an answer or an apology, or both.  
“Landon, I - “ she stammered in order to give her time to think up an excusable answer. His stare only intensified.

“Everything okay there Hope?”

_Saved by the bell,_ Hope let out a silent sigh of relief. 

With a streak of luck, Caroline had just noticed the tribrid was no longer trailing behind her. With vampire speed she embedded herself between the two of them , creating some space before Landon could jump any further down Hope’s throat. She greeted the phoenix with a fleeting smile.

“Good evening Landon.”

His spine instantly straightened under her gaze.

“I apologize for stealing Hope away from you all day but she’s been helping me with something rather important. I’ll have her back to you as soon as possible, okay?”

Before Landon could respond, Caroline’s hand was on Hope’s back ushering her towards the main staircase. Hope flashed a smile of gratitude. Behind them, she could hear Landon huff and storm off in the opposite direction. She was appreciative when Caroline didn’t pose any questions or comments about what she had just witnessed. 

* * *

  
  


Upstairs, Lizzie was pacing outside the door of her and Josie’s shared bedroom. She rolled her eyes dramatically as she noticed her mother and friend approach.   
“Ugh, finally!” She groaned, flailing her arms. “What took so long?”

Caroline’s eyes narrowed. “Lizzie. I told you to stay away from your sister until we have the matter under control.”

“Well maybe if I didn’t have to hear her constantly groan in pain, that would be easier said than done!” Lizzie spitfired back before setting her eyes on Hope. “For some reason Mom is convinced Josie is going to listen to you. So you better convince her to get overself and drink something!”

“I’ll do my best,” Hope promised. Lizze pouted, unconvinced, but nonetheless withdrew when Caroline dismissed her back to her Alaric’s office.

The headmistress proceeded to knock on the bedroom door. She pushed it open, inch by inch revealing a quiet and eerily dark room. The only light source seemed to be coming from one side of the room.

As Hope delved further inside, behind Caroline, she was met with the sight of Josie sitting motionlessly on her bed dressed in pajamas, her pale face illuminated by the dim glow of the candles on her nightstand. Her eyes were staring, unblinking, into a book delicately placed on her lap. 

While Caroline didn’t inch much further past the bookshelves just inside the doorway, Hope hesitantly drew closer to the girl. She could now see that Josie looked every bit as awful as Caroline had described to Hope on their walk in from the woods. She looked an entirely different person to the one that stormed out of the library the night before.

As Hope kneeled down beside the bed, she could see how dark Josie’s eyes had become, and the faint yet dark veins that were threatening to protrude from the skin underneath. A full blood bag lay discarded on the folded comforter at the end of the bed.

“Josie,” She whispered as calmly as she could. 

The brunette's head snapped up at the sound of her name and her eyes began to illuminate as though she had just been reunited with her favorite teddy bear. The black orbs fading back somewhat to their usual warm chocolate color.

“Hope!” She weakly exclaimed with a smile. “Where have you been?” 

Any trace of the younger girl being angry with Hope had dissipated and instead she seemed somewhat elated to have the tribrid at her side. Her hand reached out to grab a hold of Hope's forearm. Hope shivered beneath the cold touch. 

“Jo, you look awful,” Hope murmured, ignoring the question she had just been asked. Josie simply pouted at the comment. “You need to feed.”

Her expression had now changed dramatically as she took offence to Hope's suggestion. She immediately began to shake her head. “No, please I can’t.”

Hope flicked her gaze over towards Caroline. The vampire just nodded at her with an encouraging smile.

Hope reached for the blood bag and even went as far as ripping off the plastic corner with her teeth before holding it out in front of Josie. The brunette curled her upper lip in disgust.

“Come on Josie, it can’t be that bad,” she scoffed.

“They’re so nasty Hope!” The brunette whined and tried to push Hope’s outstretched arm away from her face. “You even said so yourself!”

Hope was beginning to grow impatient with this childlike manner. She wasn’t going to let Josie waste herself away like this. By now, she felt prepared to squeeze the contents down Josie’s throat herself if she had to. 

“Come on Jo,” she cried out, frustratedly. “You’ll feel so much better if you just do this. Just drink it. For me? Please?”  
She edged the bag closer and closer to the brunette’s face. 

Josie let out a huff before snatching the bag from Hope’s grasp and reluctantly raising it to her lips. Hope subtly averted her eyes to her knees before she could watch the blood meet Josie’s lips. Her stomach churned as it heard the rapid, yet short lived gulping noises coming from Josie’s throat. Her eyes flicked back up when she heard Josie begin to gag.

The heretic was now recoiled away from her. The bag was barely dented. Josie couldn’t have taken more than two or three sips.

“ _I can’t!_ ” She protested. “I can’t drink anymore. Please Hope! _Please_ don’t make me drink anymore.”

She was shaking now, tears spilling out from the corner of her eyes as they started desperately into Hope’s. Unable to watch her best friend in such distress, Hope gave in to her pleas.  
“Okay, okay Josie.” She placated. “Calm down. You don’t have to drink anymore if you don’t want to!” 

Josie gasped with relief and dropped the bag from her grasp. Hope was quick to catch it before the blood could spill all over Josie’s bed sheets.

Hope turned back to look at Caroline. Any trace of hope that had resided on the vampire's face moments ago were now washed over with worry. 

“I tried,” Hope offered with a shrug. 

“And she listened, honestly that's even more than we could get her to drink." The sympathy in Caroline's voice seemed genuine.

Hope turned back to face her friend who was wrinkling her nose in disgust after her encounter with the blood bag. “Is it really that bad Jo?"

As expected, the tiny volume of blood ingested had done nothing to satiate Josie’s thirst. Her eyes were still just as dark and hollow.  
Josie nodded fervently. “The taste is terrible. It tastes old, and stale.”

“Well that could just be to do with the taste of the bag blood right?” Hope pondered. “Maybe we just need to get her a different source. Something a bit more _fresh_?”

Caroline pressed her lips together with a slight frown. She seemed to know exactly what idea was running through the tribrid’s mind, but felt the need to pose the question regardless. “Hope, what exactly are you suggesting?” 

Hope looked from Josie’s hungry eyes back to the girl's mother with a rather unconvincing and nervous smile. “I think we need to bring Josie hunting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this turned out to be another short chapter....I had more planned but then it got too long but hopefully I should have the next chapter out tomorrow or the day after!
> 
> Thank you all so much for your kudos and comments so far, I really really appreciate all the feedback and support!


	5. Chapter 5

Hope could practically feel the waves of anxiety emanating from Josie’s body as they stood under the sole street light of the alley way they were currently hiding out in as they awaited Lizzie and MG’s return. 

Josie’s breathing was slightly erratic and she couldn’t seem to stop fidgeting with her hands.

Of course, Hope wasn’t feeling much better considering what had gone down between her and Josie’s parents within minutes of her suggesting she bring Josie hunting. 

_Alaric had paced around his office, red faced and short of breath as he continued to shout at Hope._

_“Are you absolutely insane?!” He slammed his fist down on his oak test and Hope reckoned if he had anymore than human strength, he might have left an impressive dent. “You think bringing her into town to hunt is a good idea in her state?”_

_“Have you seen your daughter?” Hope countered. “She’s sick and she needs blood soon! Drinking from the vein is the last option.”_

_“If she needs to drink from the vein, she can do it here on school grounds!”_

_Hope had of course considered this option minutes after blurting out her suggestion to Caroline. But she had also considered the risk that a bloodthirsty Josie might not be able to control her thirst, and an emotionally unstable Josie would not be able to forgive herself if she thought in any way she had brought harm to her family or friends. Not that harming an innocent civilian was exactly a great substitute plan, but Hope was confident she’d be able to help Josie get through it if it came to it._

_“No, she won’t,” Caroline interjected, a slight sense of resentment in her tone. “She won’t do that, because Hope doesn’t want her to.”_

_Both Alaric and Hope’s head snapped up to face her, asking in unison. “What do you mean?”_

_Caroline waved away the question. “We can talk about it later, we need to help Josie first.”_

Hope could still make little sense of Caroline’s words. Sure Josie was blood deprived and agitated, but surely she was still capable of making decisions for herself.

The fact Josie adamantly refused her mother come along on the hunt heightened tensions further. She claimed she wouldn’t be able to focus under the pressure of her mother watching. When Hope offered her assistance instead, Alaric outrightly protested - claiming Hope couldn’t be capable of such a thing. 

As though she hadn’t dedicated her entire teenage years to defending his school from monsters. As though he didn’t trust Hope to take care of his daughter. It hurt just as much as it angered her.

Eventually, however, they had agreed Hope could take Josie as long as MG accompanied them. Of course, Lizzie managed to weasel her way into Hope’s car trip into town too - refusing to be left out of the fun.

The flashbacks of the argument with Alaric and Caroline were playing on repeat inside her mind and Hope was feeling nauseous at the thought of the long lecture she was going to receive when they returned to the school later that night. But she needed to stop worrying about that for now, and focus on Josie instead. Of course the younger girl had to be terrified, it wasn’t every day you had to sink your newly developed fangs into a stranger’s neck.

Hope tried rubbing soothing circles into Josie’s back, hoping it might calm or at least distract the brunette. Josie stiffened slightly at the contact.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I can’t help it.”

Hope couldn’t hold back the desire she felt to hold Josie and _protect_ her. She placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer , into a tight hug.

“It’s fine Jo,” Hope whispered softly, “Once you feed properly you’re going to feel so much better.”

Hope felt Josie relax into her arms a bit. 

Her ears pricked up at the sound of Lizzie’s high heel boots clacking against the pavement as she and MG returned - with Josie’s first source of fresh blood in tow. 

Judging by a sudden tight grasp on Hope’s hand, Josie heard it about the same time.

“Hope?” The brunette’s voice was so fragile and small it caught Hope off guard. The slight tremble in her hand was more than unsettling for Hope.

“Yes, Jo?” 

“What if I hurt them?”

“You won’t Josie. You could never hurt anyone. And I’ll be here the whole time okay?”

Josie chewed on her lip, her gaze flickered back towards the top of the street where her sister, MG and their target were beginning to come into view.

Hope narrowed her eyes as she took in the sight of the obviously compelled man Lizzie was linking arms with.

“A _cop_ Lizzie? Are you serious? That was the best person you could for her to feed off of?”

The officer was young. He couldn’t have been much older than them. It had probably been easy for Lizzie to lure him in with her beauty and charms.

The blonde just shrugged. “He was like the only person that was roaming around the streets this time of night. It’s fine, they stopped dosing themselves with vervain after Sheriff Donovan left. Now can we get this over with? I’d really like to put these last few traumatic days behind us.”

Hope rolled her eyes before switching her gaze to MG, who gave her a knowing smile. He took hold of the policeman’s shoulders and gently shoved him against a nearby wall. As he turned around to face Josie, he pulled down the officer’s collar, revealing a visible vein on his neck.

“C’mere Jo,” MG beckoned. “Best place to go is for the neck. Go gently okay? Bite too hard and you’ll hurt him.”

Josie glanced up at Hope, as though waiting for her permission. The tribrid gave her a nod of reassurance. “Go ahead, I’ll be right here. Drink as much as you need.”

The brunette hesitantly shuffled forward. Her posture suddenly straightened as she caught hold of the man’s scent - the scent of the blooding pumping around his body. It was suddenly calling her forward, begging her to claim it as her prize. 

Josie felt her surroundings darken as her focus was now locked on the throbbing pulse point in the man’s neck. His blood , though slightly masked by a deep cologne, smelled so sweet. She needed to have it.

She hovered closer to him, and held him by the wrist to keep him in place. MG took this as an opportunity to step out of the way and give the newly turned vampire some space. 

Just a breath away from his skin, Josie’s fans slid out of her gums with far too much ease, ready to pierce their way through his flesh.

Hope stood back watching in fascination at how easily Josie was adapting - how her teeth managed to find the right mark on first try, and how she nonchalantly raised a hand to cover the man’s mouth as he let out a gasp of pain.She watched how her eyes rolled back in relief and satisfaction as the warm blood trickled down her throat.

Part of Hope felt relief too, finally seeing colour return to Josie’s face. But there was a part of her that began to grow uneasy too the more the brunette continued to drink.

Blood started to drip down the man’s neck, staining the grey collar of his uniform.

“Okay Jo, maybe take it easy,” Hope warned. If Josie heard her, she made no attempt to acknowledge it. Her teeth only seemed to sink deeper, ripping into another vein. Blood sprayed from his neck onto her cheeks.

It was becoming too much for Hope to handle. She’d never had much of a problem with blood before, but seeing sweet, caring Josie capable of _this_ was a different scenario altogether. She felt ashamed of herself that she was the one responsible for turning her best friend into some type of bloodthirsty monster.

“Josie that’s enough,” MG told her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Unhappy to have been disturbed from her meal, Josie let out a vicious growl before using a single arm to throw him halfway down the street. MG let out a painful groan as his head collided with the bonnet of Hope’s jeep.

“Josie!” Lizzie let out a scream, her twin took no notice. The mam’s knees had buckled now, Hope knew it was time to intervene before they ended up with a dead cop on their hands.

The blonde beside her was growing increasingly frantic. “What’s wrong with her? Why is this happening?”

“I don’t know!” Hope screamed back before rushing to pull Josie away from the policeman. She couldn’t help but feel her stomach twist in disgust at the sight of the gaping wound in the man’s neck.

“Let go of him Josie, let go of him and compel him to forget what happened!”

Josie’s hand loosened its grip and the cop collapsed to the ground with a deep thud, letting out a weak cry of pain as he did. Hope found it hard to hold back a scowl as Josie, whose face was smeared with sticky, red blood, showed little regard for the man bleeding to death on the ground. Luckily, MG was quick to swoop in and feed him some of his blood. Meanwhile Hope’s attention was turning back to Josie. 

“ _Josie_! Look at what you've done!” Hope yelled. "You almost killed him!"

Josie suddenly looked petrified as her darkened eyes flickered upward to meet Hope’s, her demeanor completely shifting. She whispered her compulsion to the guard before shrinking into Hope’s touch.

Josie flinched. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Hope. I didn’t mean to. I -”

Hope instantly felt guilty for snapping at her friend. She inhaled deeply to try to calm herself. It wasn’t like Josie had intended to hurt the cop after all. She was new to this. As she felt her heart race settle she realized she wasn't angry, but rather worried. If Josie had killed that man, she wouldn't forgive herself easily, and it would be completely on Hope.

“Josie?” She tried again in a softer tone but the brunette pulled away from her. Using her new found vampire speed, she retreated to the opposite side of the alleyway where she huddled up against a cold, brick wall.

“Please, don’t hate me.” Her whimpers were barely audible. “I couldn’t help it.”

Lizzie stepped forward from where she had stood in the shadows, taking in the disturbing sight of her sister rocking herself in a corner, crying and whispering to herself. The blonde was still shaking herself from witnessing her sister almost drain a man. She whispered, 

“Hope, what the hell is going on with her? How did you do that?”

Hope looked from one twin to the other. She honestly had no idea, but she had a feeling Caroline might.

* * *

“You created a sire bond,” Caroline sighed from behind the desk in her office.

Hope choked on her own breath.

_“A sire bond?_ ” Lizzie practically shrieked from where she stood beside her.

“We anticipated this,” Carolline sighed, standing up from her leather chair. “Considering your family’s history, but it was foolish for us not to have prepared ourselves for this occurring. The bond seems strong. It’s influencing her emotions and her actions. Josie’s upset not only because she has hurt that man hut also because she knows she disappointed you, Hope.”

“But why is she so afraid of me?” Hope frowned. “I’d never hurt her, you guys know that right?”

Caroline smiled thinly. “Of course we know that Hope, you saved her life. It’s common for vampires to fear rejection from their sires.”

The blonde Saltzman twin turned to face her. “This is why she’s been acting so weird around you, why she only drank because you told her to. Isn’t it?”

Hope felt at a loss for words. Did the bond have something to do with Josie storming out on her in the library? And her calling for Hope’s help earlier today? A million questions were suddenly floating around her head. Sure she had been a sire to the hybrids, and even her own mother - but Josie just seemed like a different ball game completely. She was one of Hope's closest friends. Their friendship had already been tested so many times over the years by complicated emotions - a sire bond wasn't going to make things any simpler. Hope felt anxious at the thought of having such influence over Josie's feelings. If her freak out in the alleyway was an indication of the power of the sire bond, Hope was going to be extremely careful to ensure she did nothing to upset Josie like that again.

“I’m sorry-” she stammered, meeting Caroline and Lizzie’s gazes. “I didn’t mean to cause any complications. I just wanted to help.”

“We know that Hope,” The headmistress meekly replied. 

“Does she know? Should I go talk to her?”

“I imagine she may have figured it out by now. If not she definitely has an inkling as to why she feels so attached to you since turning. We can all have a long conversation tomorrow, but right now Josie’s feeling rather down on herself. Her emotions are already a bit unstable.”

“But what do we do about the bond?” Lizzie spoke up.

“That’s not exactly a straightforward issue Lizzie,” Caroline sighed. “There are options that need to be discussed. Hope and Josie will have to be the ones that ultimately decide. But that’s a complex conversation that shouldn’t be had until Josie is well rested and in control of her emotions again. So for now, I think we should all call it a night. We can talk again in the morning, okay?”

Caroline didn’t give either Lizzie or Hope much of a chance to argue. The older blonde was quick to head the door and disappear into the hallway.

Once she was out of earshot, the blonde Saltzman twin turned to the aubrenette.“I know you’re probably trying to wrap your head around this and everything. But I need you to promise me that whatever you decide to do, you won’t hurt my sister.”

Hope nodded solemnly, "I promise."

This was a promise she certainly didn't want to break.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!  
> I have big plans for this fic so please please let me know what you think - the good and the bad!! - and I will try update quickly.


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